AMERICAN ROUTES
Earl Scruggs & Tom Rush Earl Scruggs & Tom Rush June 22nd, 2022 (Hour 1)
Earl Scruggs & Tom Rush

Earl Scruggs‘ legendary banjo playing, aptly named “Scruggs Style,” has left its mark on American pop culture and inspired generations of banjo players. In the late 1960s, Scruggs, along with his sons, bravely crossed musical boundaries, but his musical journey really started back at the beginnings of bluegrass, playing with Bill Monroe and later, Lester Flatt. In this American Routes encore, we talk to Earl and his sons, Randy and Gary, about performing on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium and why he doesn’t need to crack jokes about the banjo. New Hampshire-born folk singer songwriter Tom Rush may have gone to Harvard and studied with a ballad scholar, but he still knows how to sing the blues. We’ll visit with Rush to learn more about Boston’s folk scene in the 1960s, his time as a radio DJ and his inspired approach to songwriting.

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LOVE IS STRANGE WITH JUDY COLLINS AND JIM LAUDERDALE

January 23rd, 2019

The dead of winter has us planning ahead for Valentine’s Day and life itself with songs of love—lost and found. Whether it’s from swooning crooners or heartbroken honky-tonkers, love has wedged itself prominently in the American songbook. We talk to two songwriters who specialize in matters of the heart: ’60s folk chanteuse Judy Collins and Americana songmaker Jim Lauderdale, a.k.a. “The King of Broken Hearts.” Plus we hear soulful sweet songs from the Pointer Sisters and the Four Tops, ballads of love on the rocks from George Jones and Tracy Chapman, and love confessions for “My Girl, Josephine” by Fats Domino and “Ophelia” by The Band. Join us for songs of love sad and happy, sexy and silly, careless and calculated on American Routes.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Both Sides Now Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
    Will the Circle be Unbroken, Capitol
  • Love is Strange Mickey & Sylvia
    Dirty Dancing (Soundtrack), RCA
  • You Were on My Mind Ian & Silvia
    Long Long Time, Vanguard
  • Give Me One Reason Tracy Chapman
    New Beginning, Elektra
  • Still Doing Time George Jones
    The Essential George Jones: The Spirit of Country Disc 2, Legacy
  • Love Me Do The Beatles
    The Beatles 1962-1966, Capitol
  • Who Do You Love? Bo Diddley
    His Best, MCA
  • Instrumental: When She Loved Me Randy Newman
    Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1, Nonesuch
  • SEGMENT: Judy Collins

    Listen
  • Instrumental: Body and Soul Nat King Cole
    The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio, Capitol
  • My Man Billie Holiday
    Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday, Columbia/Legacy
  • My Guy Mary Wells
    The Best of Mary Wells: The Millennium Collection , Motown
  • Finest Lovin' Man Bonnie Raitt
    Bonnie Raitt, Warner Brothers
  • Time is On My Side Irma Thomas
    I Wish Someone Would Care, Imperial
  • It's All Over Now Rebirth Brass Band
    The Main Event: Live at the Maple Leaf, Louisiana Red Hot
  • Careless Love Wild Bill Davison and band with Bertha "Chippie" Hill
    This is Jazz, the Historic Broadcasts Vol. 6, Jazzology Records
  • End Bed: Wonderful World Treme Brass Band
    Sound of New Orleans: Best of the Brass Bands, Sound of New Orleans

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Careless Love Blues Danny Barker
    The Fabulous Band of Danny Barker, Gramercy Jazz
  • You're the Cream in my Coffee Nat King Cole
    The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio, Capitol
  • Sugar The Pointer Sisters
    The Pointer Sisters, Blue Thumb
  • I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) The Four Tops
    The Ultimate Collection, Motown
  • Sugar Bee Cleveland Crochet and All the Sugar Bees
    Cleveland Crochet and All the Sugar Bees, Goldband
  • Sugar Magnolia Grateful Dead
    American Beauty, Warner Brothers
  • Instrumental: Sunshine Twist Jelly Roll Kings
    Rockin' the Juke Joint Down, Earwig
  • He Was a Friend of Mine Willie Nelson
    Brokeback Mountain: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Verve
  • Ring of Fire Johnny Cash
    The Essential Johnny Cash, Columbia/Legacy
  • Marina Los Texmaniacs
    Borders y Bailes, Smithsonian Folkways
  • My Girl Josephine Fats Domino
    Antoine "Fats" Domino: The Legendary Imperial Recordings, Imperial
  • Ophelia The Band
    Northern Lights, Southern Cross, Capitol
  • SEGMENT: Jim Lauderdale

    Listen
  • Instrumental: Turn, Turn, Turn Bill Frisell
    Guitar in the Space Age, Nonesuch
  • Touching the Ground Brandi Carlile
    Give Up the Ghost, Columbia
  • She Belongs to Me Bob Dylan
    Bringing It All Back Home, Columbia
  • Tomorrow is a Long Time Sandy Denny
    Sandy, A&M
  • End Bed: It's All Over Now Baby Blue Grateful Dead
    Dick's Picks Volume 9: The Grateful Dead Live at Madison Square Garden, Grateful Dead

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 22nd, 2022

    EARL SCRUGGS & TOM RUSH

    Listen
  • June 15th, 2022

    SOUNDS OF FREEDOM: FONTELLA BASS AND FREDDIE HUBBARD

    Listen
  • June 8th, 2022

    SHADES OF THE BLUES

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